Joel M Bradshaw

29Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted.30And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.–Genesis 25

Verse 34 grabbed ahold of me this morning. I looked up the Hebrew for ‘despised’ and found out that the exact form of the word occurs only one other time in the Old Testament.

But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. (Esther 3:6)

Haman’s verse literally reads he ‘despised in his eye’. He was driven by a racist hatred hell-bent on destroying the Jewish people. Esau prioritized the temporary over the permanent. He therefore reduced what should have been a key part of his identity to a meal. To despise means to detest, reject, or loathe something. We totally get that with Haman.

When I was a single youth ministry intern in seminary I once lived with a family. I remember having a car and wanting a cassette deck put into it so I could listen to tapes on my daily commute. I saw that the local electronics store had two models. As I browsed, I told myself that I liked one more than the other. But as it happened, the family bought me a Christmas gift and it was a tape deck! They even arranged for a smart friend to install it in my car.

I bring this up because they bought the one that I didn’t have my eyes on. I wanted the other model. And though I still cringe at the memory, I asked them for a gift receipt, exchanged it for the other model and had it put in the car instead. I told them I was grateful for the generous gift, but then turned right around and bought another. In a way, I despised their generosity.

Now I don’t feel like my attitude was anywhere near Haman’s or even Esau’s, but I communicated rejection. I should have rejoiced at the gift and took everyone for rides playing music in the car. I was young and immature. I wonder if Esau not only rejected the birthright that day, but also began to despise all that the birthright would carry with it moving forward. His manipulative rascal of a brother Jacob would now be the top dog.

I am comforted that the same root word is used for the greatest and saddest rejection of all time–the Suffering Servant.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)

Esau despised a birthright. Haman despised a people group. I despised a loving, generous gift. But the despising of Jesus would lead to the greatest of all hopes. We all sit here as ones who used to despise Jesus in selfishness, but now depend upon him in faith. I would say the only thing biblically I can despise moving forward is my own sin. Heart check this morning, my friends. Welcome to the new followers.–JMB